The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has released the draft version of its public health consultation evaluating whether water drainage from Memphis Depot in Memphis, Tennessee poses a health hazard to areas nearby.

After reviewing sampling data provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ATSDR concludes that:

• It is very unlikely that there will be adverse health effects or excess risk of cancer due to exposure to the contaminants identified in the samples taken in EPA's investigation of three drainage areas near Memphis Depot. ATSDR identifies this situation as no apparent public health hazard.
• The available evidence indicates that there are multiple sources for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contamination found at the end of Rozelle Street.

The sampling was done because while ATSDR prepared its public health assessment for the Memphis Depot site, because local residents said indicated during public comments on the Memphis public health assessment that there had been instances when storm water in surface drainage ways from the depot overtopped their banks and flooded adjacent property. This presented a potential migration pathway for hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants to migrate from the depot and be deposited in areas near the depot.

In consultation with ATSDR staff, EPA identified three areas of concern: the Rozelle neighborhood, drainage ditches southeast for of the depot, and the Tarrent Branch.

EPA collected and analyzed soil from these three areas at locations near the depot and adjacent to drainage ways. EPA's sampling was to determine whether there might be a current risk of exposure from site-related contaminants in these predominantly residential areas.

The public comment period for the draft health consultation runs through November 8, 2002. The document is available for public review at the following repositories:

The Memphis Depot Community Reading Room
2163 Airways Blvd., Building 144
Memphis
Call (901) 544-0613 for an appointment

Memphis/Shelby County Public Library Memphis/Shelby County Health Department
Cherokee Branch Pollution Control Division
3300 Sharpe Ave. 814 Jefferson Ave.
Memphis Memphis
(901) 743-3655
(901) 576-7775

Comments about the draft public health consultation must be made in writing and should be sent to:

Chief, Program Evaluation, Records and Information Services Branch
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, NE (MS E-60)
Atlanta, Georgia 30333

Comments received during the public comment period will be logged and become part of the administrative record for the health assessment.

Comments, without indication of who made them, and responses will be included in an appendix to the final document. Although names of those who have submitted comments will not be included in the final health consultation, they will be subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act.

Community members seeking information on the procedures or the content of the public health consultation should contact the author of the report, John Crellin, toll free, at 1-888-422-8737. Regional Representative Benjamin Moore also may be contacted toll-free at 1-800-241-1754, ext. 21784. Callers should refer to the Memphis Depot site.